EU exempts Apple Ads and Apple Maps from DMA gatekeeper rules

The European Commission has decided not to classify Apple Ads and Apple Maps as “gatekeeper” services under the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), concluding that neither service currently plays a central role in connecting businesses with consumers across the bloc.

In a decision published on February 5, regulators said both services fall short of the DMA’s threshold for designation, which targets platforms that act as critical gateways between business users and end users. According to the Commission, Apple Maps has comparatively low overall usage within the European Union, while Apple Ads represents only a small share of the region’s online advertising market.

The ruling follows Apple’s formal notification of the two services in November 2025, after which the company submitted arguments challenging their inclusion under the DMA. EU officials reviewed those submissions and determined that the scale and market impact of both services remain limited in Europe.

The DMA, which entered into force to curb the market power of large technology companies, imposes strict obligations on designated gatekeepers, including rules aimed at increasing competition and reducing barriers for rival services. While Apple itself has already been designated a gatekeeper for other core platform services in earlier DMA decisions, the latest finding means Apple Ads and Apple Maps will not be subject to the law’s additional compliance requirements for now.

The Commission noted that it will continue to monitor market developments related to both services and could revisit the decision if their usage or competitive significance changes materially. A non-confidential version of the ruling is set to be published on the Commission’s DMA website in the coming period.